9.PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION OF GREAT BRITAIN
AND NORTHERN IRELAND AND ITS MANAGEMENT
1. CREATION OF ANGLO – SAXON SYSTEM OF
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
While the so called „machiavelism in the public administration„ was typical for the
development of the European - continental system of public administration, the administration
in the United Kingdom was developed in the quite another way.
In England the public administration execution was influence mainly by the following factors:
a) In the second half of the 16th century
- creation of the Anglican Church;,
- the development of the foreign naval trade;
- the development of textile manufactures in the south of the country;
- the transformation of many fields into pastures;
- the end of the basis of municipalities in the English village existence.
b) In the first half of the 17th century:
- the tendency to the so called recatolisation (one of the Steward dynasty goal);
- the creation of new Evangelic churches: Pilgrim Fathers, diggers, etc.;
- the strenghtening of the tension in the society culminated in the creation
of the so called Long Parlament (1640);
- the so called English Revolution (1640 - 1649);
- the era of the English Republic (1649 - 1660);
- the reinstallation of the kingdom and new tensions (1660 - 1689);
- Habeas Corpus Act proclamation : the Second Pillar of the traditional
English legal system (1679);
- victory of the „Glory Revolution„ in January 1689 and the proclamation of the Bill of
Rights (the third Pillar of the English trandional legal system): the creation of the
constitutional kingdom;
- the Rule of Law principles.
The main pillars of the British legal system called the Rule of Law - Magna Charta
Libertatum (1215), Habeas Corpus Act (1679) and Bill of Rights (1689) - have been
supplemented by Acts adopted by the Parliament predominantly since the 19th century.
2. ROLE OF STATE ADMINISTRATION
The state administration after reforms of the public administration implemented mainly in the
1980s is represented de facto only by ministries and the so called Government Offices situated
in every county where they represent all ministries.
The another significant feature of the contemporary public administration execution is the fact
that several other bodies except of the public administration authorities and offices are
participating on the public administration execution. They are so called Royal Commisssions,
the Consultative Council, the Local Government Finance authorities, the National Health
Service , the Arts Council and some other. Most of them are playing only the consultative
roles.
3. POSITION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
As it has been stressed the key role in the public administration is played by the local
government executed in the level of counties (shires), districts and towns.
Role of towns disposing of the so called borough since the Middle Ages was strengthened
step by step predominantly since the industrial revolution that started in England in the 1780s.
The oldest towns achieved the so called „privilege of incorporation“ from the kings enabling
them to collect taxes from which a fixed amounth was transferred to the king disposal.
Historically the oldest level of the local government execution is represented by counties. The
first of them were formed in the twelve century.The role of counties was increased after year
1215.
This year plays a very significant role in the British legal history because king John known as
John Lackland had to proclame the Magna Charta Libertatum finishing de facto the vasal
goverment era in England. Due to the pressure from the earls he had to express his approval
with their proposal to create the so called Great Council composed of sherifs elected by earls
in smaler territories that started to be called counties.Sherifs were special representives of the
nobility living in the territory of the county. The king had to ask the Great Council for its
approval with the collection of taxes since year 1215. Magna Charta Libertatum is considered
till now the first pillar of the English Rule of Law.
Counties were traditionally responsible for the collection of taxes to the state budget, hiring of
solders and for the judgement of criminal acts de facto since the beginning of thirteen century.
Except of sherifs the so called conciliatory judges were important representatives of the local
administration since the thirteen century till year 1835 when the first Municipal Corporation
Act was adopted by the Parliament. Thanks to this Act the competences of large towns were
enlarged.
Districts are responsible for services providing mainly in the urban territories.
A specific role in the public administration execution was and is played by the so called
parishes of the Anglican Church which have today only minimum competences. Nowadays
they decide such cases like the construction and the maintenance of bus stations and some
other less important problems.
4. IMPLEMENTATION OF MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES
IN BRITISH PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Significant changes in the British public administration execution began in the 1960s when
principles of the New Public Management started to be discussed. Those principles have been
implemented during the 1970s and 1980s.
Since the 1980s the prevailing number of services for citizens provided by the local
government is arranged on the basis of contracts signed with the winners of tenders.
There is one specific feature in contracting services for citizens stressed in the Compulsary
Competitive Tenderring Act approved by the Parliament in year 1979.
The important role in district offices is played by officials working in special CCT
departments since that time . There are usually working very experienced specialists
responsible not only for the preparation and organization of tenders. One of their key duties is
to take part actively in the competition and to try to achieve the victory in it.They play the role
of managers rewarded by managers salaries but having also the full managers risks.Moreover
the strict system of competitions is supplemented by a very careful control system over
contracts discharged in the United Kingdom.
The next stage of the management approaches implementation in the British public
administration has been begun in year 1988 when the main attention was concentrated to the
increase of the state administration activites effectiveness. That year the so called Next Steps
Initiative programme was annouced by the government. This programme was oriented
towards the improvement of management principles implementation in the state
administration.Ideas stressed in the mentioned document represented:
the most radical expression of the NPM principles implementation in the European public
administration.
Three priorities were stressed for the UK public administration in the mentioned document
since the 1990s:
-
the orientation of all activities in the public administration execution
predominantly to the determination as well as the implementation of the most
important goals worked out on the basis of strategic planning principles practical
utilization;
- permanent improvement of the staff professional qualification as the prerequisity
for their efficient fulfilling of tasks;
-long-term orientation to the Total Quality Management principles implementation
in all activities of the state administration as well as the local government offices.
The British ”New Steps Initiative“ conception was implemented in such a way that a great
part of the state administration authorities was transformed into about 130 so-called agencies.
These agencies currently employ approximately 67% of the original British state
administration staff. Their officials are not subject to the provisions of the Civil Service Code.
The mentioned officials do not have the legal position of civil servants. Such an approach is
considered in the United Kingdom administration as the way enabling to achieve its greater
flexibility.
New Steps Initiative underlined other two basic priorities:
1. The management of each ministry is responsible for the employment of
experienced civil servants highly educated in public administration;
2. The permanent pressure must be carried out by the every ministry management on
the quality of all services provided to citizens.
The component part of the public administration reform became the so called Public Choice
based on the Chief Executives employment on the basis of the tender.
The orientation on the quality of services increasing was also uderlined by the government
White Book - the publication called „Continuity and Change“. Ministries were called to settle
individual agreements with civil servants in higher professional positions.
Chief Executives in the local government are now responsible predominantly for:
- effective utilization of financial resources;
- efficient services for citizens providing;
- development of marketing activites in the local government);
- economic, effective and efficient execution of services providing.
At the same time the emphasis on the quality of all services providing was increased in the
local government offices. This orientation was underlined mainly in the Citizen´s Charter
adopted by the Parliament in year 1991. The determination of all public services standards
(with the aim to answer better to clients wishes and requirements) represents the main stream
of this Charter implementation.
The principal standards are the following ones:
- standards of services determination;
- citizents understanding as clients of services provided by the local government;
- maximum information provision to citizens;
- openness of authorities in their relationship to citizens;
- redinness to provide consultations for citizens.
5. ESSENCE
OF
„MODERNISING
GOVERNMENT“
CONCEPTION
The another significant programme was adopted by the government in March 1999. Its aim
was „Modernising Government“.This programme was oriented to further improvement of the
public administration effectiveness. The main idea of the project was and is the provision of
services for citizens „24 hours a day and 7 days a week“.
The integral part of the programme was he eGovernment installation till year 2008. The
project was divided into five following parts:
- strategic policy (the main emphasis was laid down on the Centre for Management
and Political Sciences activities);
- public services regulation (represented in local government offices activities by the
coordination as well as by the local partnership building and strengthening);
- quality of public services providing (including its monitoring);
- eGovernment installation and improvement;
- public service all- round modernization.